Developmental Trends: Language Skills at Different Age Levels (continued)

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Late Adolescence (14–18)

What You Might Observe:

• Acquisition of many terms related to specific academic disciplines
• Subtle refinements in grammar, mostly as a result of formal instruction
• Mastery of a wide variety of connectives (e.g., although, however, nevertheless)
• General ability to understand figurative language (e.g., metaphors, proverbs, hyperbole)

Diversity:

• Boys are apt to communicate their thoughts in a direct and straightforward manner; girls are more likely to be indirect and tactful.
• A preference for one’s native dialect over Standard English continues into the high school years.

Implications:

• Consistently use the terminology associated with various academic disciplines.
• Distinguish between similar abstract words (e.g., weather vs. climate, velocity vs. acceleration).
• Explore complex syntactic structures (e.g., multiple embedded clauses).
• Consider the underlying meanings and messages in poetry and fiction
• When teenagers have a native dialect other than Standard English, encourage them to use it in informal conversations and creative writing; encourage Standard English for more formal situations.